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Theme of the day of 8 May 2008
Lobbying in the European Parliament
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On Thursday 8 May, the European Parliament will adopt a report by Ingo Friedrich MEP (EPP-ED, Germany) on lobbying (former rapporteur was Alexander Stubb). The EPP-ED aims to improve transparency by clearer definitions, increased financial disclosure and exploring the possibility of establishing a common lobbyist register with the Commission and the Council.
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| It is estimated that there are about 15,000 lobbyists and 2,500 lobby organisations in Brussels representing varied interests. Lobby organisations also form an important source of information for the Members of the European Parliament. The Parliament's register for lobbyists has existed since 1996 at which time around 5000 registered lobbyists signed up to high ethical standards in the Code of Conduct.
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| The European Parliament should have a common register with the European Commission - from the public's point of view the institutions are seen as one. A joint working group of the Parliament and Commission will begin work on the common register. A "legislative footprint", i.e. an indicative list (attached to Parliament's reports) of interest representatives who were consulted during the preparation of the report, should also be established. |
The EPP-ED Group however disagrees with the proposal to include churches among lobbying organisations, as the special status of churches is explicitly mentioned in the Treaty on the European Union.
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